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Summer Wilderness Trip Story: The 2018 Boys Are True Mountaineers

Read about the (literal) peak of the 2018 Boys Summer Wilderness Trip in Colorado, with guest narration by Mentors Jordan Epton (JE) and Taylor Journey (TJ):

In order to safely summit Mt Baldy, a 13,679 ft peak overlooking the French Gulch Valley, the 2018 Boys team had to pack up camp well before the sun broke over the mountains. The

decision was made the night before that “we were going to push for a true alpine start - wake up call at 2am - leave camp by 3am sharp” (JE). Despite the painfully early start to the hike, “the troops rallied, spirits were high, and the bridge was solid ice” (TJ). The team had to make their way across two separate ice slopes, the first of which was “a solo switch-back hike for the whole crew, everyone successfully completing the trek with just headlamps and footprints in front of them” (JE). The second ice slope was the more difficult of the two, and the team broke up into five groups of five people, individually attached together by a rope, as they prepared to make their way up the 75 degree slope.

“Here, around 4:30am, we crossed our second and most precarious ice field. Tensions were high, as were hopes, well before the temps would soar. It felt like being on another planet, moving slowly and methodically as teams, seeing our headlamp beams reflecting crisply and progressing in unison” (TJ). As the five groups slowly made their way across the ice field, the sun began to rise.

For Jordan, “it was easily the most beautiful sunrise I had ever seen.”

Thank you to both Taylor and Jordan for the epic storytelling and great photos!